Valentine’s Day Treats
Valentine’s Day, also referred to as Saint Valentine’s Day, is celebrated by many every year on February 14th. The idea behind this holiday is to celebrate the love between two individuals, specifically one’s significant other. As Valentine’s Day approaches, here are just a few recipes to try for someone or yourself!
Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Ingredients:
Strawberries
8 oz of chocolate wafers
4 oz of white chocolate wafers
Instructions:
Line a baking sheet with parchment/wax paper
Wash and completely dry your strawberries. Make sure they are fully dry before dipping them into chocolate.
Add chocolate into a microwave-safe bowl. Make sure to melt chocolate in 30-second increments and to consistently stir the chocolate. Before the chocolate is completely melted, remove it from the microwave and stir.
Dip the strawberries into the chocolate, making sure that everything is completely coated. To achieve a smooth coating, let the chocolate drip off the strawberry and place it on the baking sheet.
Refrigerate strawberries for 5-10 minutes.
While the strawberries are cooling, do the same melting process for the white chocolate.
Once the white chocolate is melted, pour it into a pastry or Ziploc bag and cut a small piece off the tip.
Drizzle the white chocolate over the hardened strawberries.
Refrigerate until hardened. Make sure to store the strawberries in the refrigerator if they are not being eaten.
2. Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes
Ingredients:
6 oz/1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate (chopped)
½ cup unsalted butter (cut into ½ in cubes)
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup confectioners’ sugar
⅛ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 6 oz/ 3 8 oz Ramekin dishes
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Make sure to grease your ramekin dishes with nonstick cooking spray. Next, dust cocoa powder and make sure to tap out the excess cocoa powder.
Melt chocolate and butter into a bowl and set the bowl aside, allowing it to cool off. Melting the chocolate can be done in the microwave by melting the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 20-second intervals. Make sure to take out the chocolate before it is completely melted and mix until smooth.
In another bowl, mix together the eggs, egg yolks, vanilla extract, sugar, and salt until combined.
Pour the melted chocolate into the egg mixture along with the flour. The batter should be thick and not lumpy.
Place ramekins on a baking pan and divide batter amongst the dishes. Bake for 12-14 minutes until the edges are solid and firm. The tops will be soft and jiggly. Don’t overcook the cakes since that will create the center to completely solidify and not be gooey.
Allow the cakes to cool in the ramekins and cover each with an inverted plate. Then, use an oven mitt to flip them over and release cakes onto plates.
Optional: Add toppings or drizzle your preferred sauces over the cakes.
Enjoy!
3. Valentine’s Day Heart Sugar Cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
½ teaspoon of baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
Icing
3 cups confectioner’s sugar
2 tablespoons meringue powder
¼ cup room temperature water
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
food coloring
Instructions:
In a bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla until combined. Then, add the baking powder and salt. Gradually add the flour and mix it all together.
Form the dough into a ball and wrap in plastic cling wrap. Freeze the dough for 30 minutes or refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 35o degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Remove the dough and set it aside to thaw for 5-10 minutes. Lightly flour the surface and roll out the dough until it is ¼ inch thick. Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter and cut the dough.
Transfer the cookies onto the baking sheet and be sure to place them 1 inch apart. Make sure to reroll the excess dough and cut more cookies.
Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Let the cookies cool and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the icing:
Mix together the confectioners sugar with meringue powder in a bowl. Add water and vanilla extract and beat together until smooth. If the icing is too thick, add more water (teaspoons at a time) and if it’s too thin, add more sugar.
Color the icing with whichever color you like. Use the icing to decorate the cookies however you like!
Allow the icing to set before eating. Enjoy!
4. Raspberry Chocolate Truffle
Ingredients:
1 oz freeze-dried raspberries
6 oz white chocolate melting wafers
3 oz heavy cream
8 oz dark chocolate melting wafers
Extra dried raspberries
Instructions:
Add free dried raspberries to a food processor and grind until it is a fine powder. Let the raspberry powder settle before opening the food processor and transferring it into a bowl with the white chocolate melting wafers.
Heat the cream in a saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Pour the hot cream over the white chocolate and raspberry powder. Allow it to sit for a few minutes and stir with a spatula until the chocolate completely dissolves and the raspberry powder is well incorporated.
Refrigerate for 45 minutes to 1 hour to let the truffle filling harden. Use a small ice cream scoop to portion the truffle filling into 13 pieces.
Roll each portion into a ball and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Melt the dark chocolate in the microwave in 20-second increments. Remove before the chocolate is completely melted and stir until smooth.
Dip the truffle balls using a fork and cover evenly. Use a spoon to drizzle the melted chocolate over the top.
Before placing it back on the baking sheet, allow the excess to drop off. Repeat for all of the truffles.
Place the baking sheet back into the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Enjoy!
Not only are these treats fun for the holiday, but they are relatively easy to make, too! Definitely consider trying these recipes out whether you are making them for someone else, or even yourself!
